S. HRG. 112–43 IN OUR WAY: EXPANDING THE SUCCESS OF NATIVE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE–BASED EDUCATION HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MAY 26, 2011 Printed for the use of the Committee on Indian Affairs ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 67–288 PDF WASHINGTON : 2011 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:03 Jul 20, 2011 Jkt 067288 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\DOCS\67288.TXT JACK COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii, Chairman JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming, Vice Chairman DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona KENT CONRAD, North Dakota LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington MIKE CRAPO, Idaho JON TESTER, Montana MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska TOM UDALL, New Mexico AL FRANKEN, Minnesota LORETTA A. TUELL, Majority Staff Director DAVID A. MULLON JR., Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel (II) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:03 Jul 20, 2011 Jkt 067288 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\DOCS\67288.TXT JACK C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on May 26, 2011 ............................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Akaka ................................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Barrasso ............................................................................... 2 Statement of Senator Franken ............................................................................... 3 Statement of Senator Udall .................................................................................... 25 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 26 WITNESSES Beaulieu, David, Professor of Education Policy and Community Studies; Di- rector, Electa Quinney Institute for American Indian Education, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee ..................................................................................... 44 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 46 Harcharek, Jana, Director of In˜ upiaq Education, North Slope Borough School District, Barrow Alaska ....................................................................................... 38 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 41 Kanaiaupuni, Shawn, Ph.D., Division Director, Kamehameha Schools ............. 55 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 58 Lasley, Sr., Larry C., Member, Meskwaki Settlement School Board .................. 13 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 15 Parker, Alvin N., Principal, Ka Waihona O Ka Naauao Public Charter School 20 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 21 Rawlins, Namaka, Liaison, ‘Aha Punana Leo, University of Hawaii, Hilo College of Hawaiian Language ........................................................................... 5 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 7 Shendo, Kevin, Education Director, Pueblo of Jemez ........................................... 27 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 28 APPENDIX Cherokee Nation, prepared statement ................................................................... 74 Inouye, Hon. Daniel K., U.S. Senator from Hawaii, prepared statement ........... 73 Johnson, Florian Tom, Principal, Rough Rock Community School, prepared statement .............................................................................................................. 92 Kippen, Colin, Executive Director, National Indian Education Association, prepared statement .............................................................................................. 78 Sheather-Wise, Taffi U‘llel, Executive Director, Kanu o ka Aina Learning ‘Ohana prepared statement ................................................................................. 90 (III) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:03 Jul 20, 2011 Jkt 067288 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\DOCS\67288.TXT JACK VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:03 Jul 20, 2011 Jkt 067288 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\DOCS\67288.TXT JACK IN OUR WAY: EXPANDING THE SUCCESS OF NATIVE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE–BASED EDUCATION THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2011 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:15 p.m. in room 628, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Daniel K. Akaka, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL K. AKAKA, U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII The CHAIRMAN. Good morning. I call this hearing of the Com- mittee on Indian Affairs to order. Aloha, and thank you very much, all of you for being with us today. On this day, we think about language and culture-based education. I think it is only fitting to begin with an example of what we are trying to save, to advance and move forward. With that in mind, I want to set the tone for this hearing, and ask Namaka Rawlins of Aha Punana Leo to do an opening protocol in our Native Hawaiian language to open this hearing. Namaka? Ms. RAWLINS. [Greeting and opening protocol in native tongue.] The CHAIRMAN. Aloha. Mahalo nui loa, Namaka. Today’s hearing is called In Our Way: Expanding the Success of Native Language and Culture-Based Education. This hearing will explore the trends and achievements in Native language and cul- ture-based education, identify barriers to greater success and key strategies to meeting student and Native community needs through education. You may know that I started my career as a young Native Ha- waiian teacher. I worked to implement the Native Hawaiian per- spective into the curriculum and learning environments of my stu- dents, because I believed that was the best way to ensure their suc- cess. I really believe that one way to get to these young people is through their culture. I remember with a big smile that when I was learning to read in Hawaii, just think the years back there, and the big words, big letters, and what do I read about? Snow. [Laughter.] (1) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:03 Jul 20, 2011 Jkt 067288 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\DOCS\67288.TXT JACK 2 The CHAIRMAN. And I wondered, gee, what is this? But anyway, that is what I mean when I say culture. In Hawaii, we do have snow on our mountains, but not in the villages and towns there. This is why I have always believed to get students at their roots and their culture is when we are really getting to the spirit of learning and education. It is troubling to know that of the 300 plus Native languages that were once spoken in this great Country that only 175 remain. And many are at risk of being lost. Native languages are vital to the Native peoples to whom they belong. There are numerous ex- amples of where their continued existence has benefitted the United States as a whole. As a World War II veteran, I can assure you—and there are just three of us left in the Senate today, Senator Inouye, Senator Lau- tenberg and I—I can assure you we learned the value of the Navajo language then, in World War II, and of the bravery of the Navajo people. I commend the work of many of our witnesses today. You have been committed and innovative in solving the challenges and laying a foundation for achieving academic excellence in a way that hon- ors the unique Native cultures of America. I want to extend a special mahalo, or thank you, to all of those who have traveled from Hawaii, Alaska and other places in this Country to join us today. I appreciate your presence at these pro- ceedings. My good friend, and I am so happy to be able to work with him, Senator Barrasso, I would like to ask him to make an opening statement. Senator Barrasso? STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN BARRASSO, U.S. SENATOR FROM WYOMING Senator BARRASSO. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman, for hold- ing this hearing. When you start talking about your earlier days as a teacher, I would think that Senator Franken would join me in saying, you continue to be a teacher, a teacher to us in the Sen- ate, a teacher to your colleagues, to any of the staff on both sides of the aisle, to people in this room, we continue to learn from you in so many ways. You talk about your service in World War II, we just had 104 World War II veterans from Wyoming here as part of an honor flight. There is so much to learn, for all of us. I just wanted to take the time to thank you and just let you know that you continue to be an exceptional teacher. In medical school they always gave the best teacher what was called the gold- en apple. Students would take an apple to a teacher. And I know in the Senate you would be the deserved one to receive a golden apple. So I am very, very privileged to serve with you, Mr. Chairman. I wanted to be here today because of the significant work that we all need to continue to do as we deal with the consideration of In- dian education in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. We all know that quality education is really a key component to any healthy